Marion County Jail inmate dies after fall from bunk

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Published: Saturday, December 15, 2007 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, December 15, 2007 at 1:42 a.m.

OCALA - The Marion County Sheriff's Office Friday night reported the death of a prisoner at the Marion County Jail.
"This evening, just before head count, inmate William Edward Koch, 54, suddenly rolled off the top bunk and fell to the floor where he passed away," according to a press release.
Koch, whose address is the 16000 block of Southeast 102nd Court Road in Summerfield, was arrested Thursday night on a domestic simple battery charge, the release stated.
He was being housed in the open population where other inmates witnessed him fall to the floor and the medical personnel responded to the emergency, the department said.
The incident happened around 7 p.m. after dinner, said sheriff's spokesman Capt. Jimmy Pogue. Koch was on some form of medication, but Pogue did not know what kind.
Sheriff Dean has requested that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conduct an investigation.
The exact cause of death will be determined after an autopsy.
The preliminary investigation did not reveal any signs of foul play, the department said.
According to arrest records, Koch's wife, Jacqueline, reported that he grabbed her arm and pushed her during an argument.
When deputies tried to question him about it, he refused to talk about it, told deputies to talk to his wife, and finally said, "Take me to jail." The arresting deputy reported a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.

OCALA - The Marion County Sheriff's Office Friday night reported the death of a prisoner at the Marion County Jail.<BR>
"This evening, just before head count, inmate William Edward Koch, 54, suddenly rolled off the top bunk and fell to the floor where he passed away," according to a press release.<BR>
Koch, whose address is the 16000 block of Southeast 102nd Court Road in Summerfield, was arrested Thursday night on a domestic simple battery charge, the release stated.<BR>
He was being housed in the open population where other inmates witnessed him fall to the floor and the medical personnel responded to the emergency, the department said.<BR>
The incident happened around 7 p.m. after dinner, said sheriff's spokesman Capt. Jimmy Pogue. Koch was on some form of medication, but Pogue did not know what kind.<BR>
Sheriff Dean has requested that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conduct an investigation.<BR>
The exact cause of death will be determined after an autopsy.<BR>
The preliminary investigation did not reveal any signs of foul play, the department said.<BR>
According to arrest records, Koch's wife, Jacqueline, reported that he grabbed her arm and pushed her during an argument.<BR>
When deputies tried to question him about it, he refused to talk about it, told deputies to talk to his wife, and finally said, "Take me to jail." The arresting deputy reported a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.<BR>